


Summer Rain & Honeysuckle

by HDLynn



Series: The Blacksmith [2]
Category: The Great Wall (2017)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Grumpy Pero with a soft center, Living History Museum!AU, Mild Language, Valentine's Day Fluff, a bit of spicy tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29387439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HDLynn/pseuds/HDLynn
Summary: Getting caught in a summer rainstorm leads to a first for you and the gruff blacksmith you've recently started dating.
Relationships: Pero Tovar/Reader, Pero Tovar/You
Series: The Blacksmith [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2158605
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Summer Rain & Honeysuckle

**Author's Note:**

> Based on some requests from @pikemoreno and a sweet anon on my tumblr blog.

The summer season could be one of the worst times to be working at a place where many of the attractions were located either outside or you had to walk outside to get to them. Thankfully most of the indoor areas, such as the wig maker, the apothecary, and the like had the modern wonders of ac so you and your tour groups could recover if it was sweltering outside.

How Pero could stand the heat plus also be working at the forge you had no idea. You found it hard enough to give that section of the tour when it was that hot out for there was no AC in his building at all. It honest to god felt like the metal wasn’t the only thing melting when you were in there and it sadly wasn’t because of the sweat-damp shirt clinging to Pero’s shoulders or the way his hair got wet and started to curl even more in the humidity, though that was a nice little bonus to be sure.

The one nice thing about summer though? When your shift was done it was still daylight out and you knew that Pero would be waiting for you to walk past the street his workshop was located on your way back to the main employee building to clock out and the like.

It didn’t matter how hot, damp, or sweaty you felt, every single time you saw him waiting for you made your heart flutter. Or how the way his lips quirked in the ghost of a gentle smile that was really more in his eyes than anywhere else? He looked at you that way every single time and today was no exception.

“Finally,” he said as you found your steps lightening as you drew closer. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it before the storm.”

“Storm?” You asked. “I didn’t have a chance to check the weather this morning, is it supposed to rain?”

He quirked a dark brow at you in amusement. Rather than answer you verbally, Pero took you by the shoulders and carefully turned you around until you were looking back the way you had come. Behind you the sky was a dark roiling grey, the mass of clouds moving fast and you could see the haze of rain not that far off.

“Oh shit,” you laughed out in surprise. “I didn’t even notice.”

“It’s a bit of a cool front, going to make a real mess of things colliding with the warm humid weather we’ve been having,” Pero explained as you both started off.

Even so, you could smell the change in the wind that was blowing instantly at your backs. It caused your skirts and petticoats to swirl around your legs, threatening to tangle you up as the scent of petrichor grew strong. The dampness in the air causing the walkways in the different gardens to start smelling of the ocean since they were lined with the white crushed shells of oysters.

A low rolling rumble of thunder made you jump and Pero’s hand shot out to steady you.

“You both glanced back as you heard the pounding of rain start to come down and you could literally see the leading edge of the storm moving quickly towards you.

Pero cursed, “We’re not going to make it back to the main building in time, follow me.” And with that, he took your hand in his and you both were sprinting down the main drag of the museum settlement.

It didn’t take very long for the rain to catch up with you, the cold water caused you to shriek with laughter as you blindly let Pero guide you. The rain was refreshing after the long hot day as you both raced through it.

“Here,” Pero yelled out over the pounding rain as he pulled you into the arched area of an alleyway that was partly overgrown with thick flowering vines of honeysuckle.

Gasping for breath, you both huddled close out of instinct. The arch you were under wasn’t super wide, only really enough to give the barest cover from the rain even though the alleyway itself was rather secluded and only used for employees. The rain still was able to splash up onto your long skirts though you didn’t care about that too much since they were already soaked at this point.

You couldn’t help but giggle as you could see others, visitors and fellow employees alike, also dashing for cover from the sudden rainstorm. Even Pero, for all his gruff and unflappable exterior, couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the sight as well.

“Are you alright?” Pero asked. You could practically hear the frown returning to his face with concern.

Looking at him, you couldn’t help but notice how close you both were. Your chest nearly brushing his as you still tried to steady your breath from running.

“Oh, I’m fine,” you said breezily even as your clothing dripped all over the brickwork you both were standing on. “Just feeling a bit waterlogged, but! This is one way to cool off quickly after how hot it was all day.”

Pero’s gaze, now less concerned after you had confirmed you were alright, softened slightly before his eyes flickered to your lips and then a bit lower before snapping up to your face again.

It was then you realized just how close he was as well as how your fine white linen fichu, while still tucked in place over the décolletage that the period designed stays created, was probably very see-through right now with how wet everything had become.

“You… you have a bit of mud,” Pero explained as he softly brushed at a spot on your cheek.

It would be so easy for you both to kiss at this moment. Only one of you had to lean in just a little bit and…

You nuzzled your face into his touch as you pressed even closer at the same time.

As your eyelids fluttered shut, he leaned in, closing the gap as he kissed you.

Your hands seemed to find the planes of his strong chest for their own volition. You found yourself getting lost in the feel of his soft lips, the warmth of his hands at your waist, and the slight tickle of his mustache making you smile into the kiss.

The scent of rain, the hint of the ocean, the heady scent of the flowers surrounding you, and the careful yet strong touch of Pero Tovar made for a perfectly exhilarating kiss. You both clung to each other even as you had to pull away to breathe.

“Was that alright?” Pero asked when he noticed you shiver at his touch. He was so concerned and worried about your well being you couldn’t help but smile at him.

“More than alright,” you told him as your fingers played with the wet linen collar of his shirt. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind you kissing me so more.”

Pero’s brown eyes crinkled, the scar over his left eye pulling slightly as he looked at you in an unguarded moment of wonder. “Is that so?”

“Mhmmm, I’d like it a lot.”

“Well,” he leaned in close again, his plush lips just barely brushing yours as he spoke, “I wouldn’t want to disappoint such a pretty lady even if she is waterlogged.”

You had giggled as he had kissed you again and again until you had, in fact, lost count of how many ways that Pero Tovar seemed to be able to steal your heart with yet another soft kiss. The scent of summer rain and heavy honeysuckle forever ingrained into your memories of that moment that happened underneath that brick archway.

~*~*~


End file.
